Lightning strike kills two in Amersfoort

By Zack Newmark on May 6, 2015 - 15:59

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A lightning strike in an Amersfoort, Utrecht park left two people dead, safety office Veiligheidsregio Utrecht reported on Wednesday. The two victims likely took shelter from the rain underneath a tree, and lightning may have hit both the tree and the victims, a safety office spokesman said.

The bolt of lightning came down in Randenbroek Park at about 2:30 p.m. The fire department was quickly called to the scene and tried to resuscitate the victims after the incident but to no avail.

It is not known yet "if they died immediately, or if they died later," an Utrecht Safety Region spokesman said. "Their identities are not known.”

A spokesperson on the scene said that police is starting an investigation to identify the victims.

The official meteorological agency of the Netherlands issued a Code Yellow weather warning for Tuesday and Wednesday. They predicted severe thunderstorms midday, and high winds in the afternoon across the entire country.

About 1,500 storm damage complaints were made in the Netherlands on Tuesday and Wednesday, insurers Interpolis told De Telegraaf.